How to Turn Old Wine into Vinegar

Have you ever opened a bottle of wine, drank some of it, put it in the fridge for another time, and completely forgot about it? Now, you’ve wasted a bottle of wine and don’t know what to do with it. Or, maybe you’ve kept an unopened bottle of wine that was gifted to you that you knew you’d never like. Whatever the case may be, chef John Currence who owns several restaurants shared his favorite method for turning old wine into vinegar with HGTV.com.

There are many ways to do this, some more difficult than others. In reality, it is simply converting alcohol into acetic acid by naturally-occurring bacteria.

Ingredients

To make your vinegar, you’ll need:

2-gallon glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel container

2 quarts of red/white wine

1 cup of live, unfiltered vinegar

Strainer

Two small bottles

You’ll first start with the leftover wine, pouring it into the container. Make sure it’s not aluminum, plastic, or regular steel. Mix it with the 2 quarts of red/white wine and the cup of live, unfiltered vinegar. Cover the top of the container with cloth, then place it in a warm, dark place.

Allow the container to stand for 2 months. Once it’s ready, strain and pour the vinegar into the small bottles and allow it to stand for at least 1 month to mellow.